In a thrilling Serie A encounter at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, Napoli dramatically ended Juventus’ unbeaten run with a 2-1 victory that will be remembered for Randal Kolo Muani’s debut and the home team’s resilient comeback.
Thiago Motta’s bold decision to start Kolo Muani immediately after his loan move from Paris Saint-Germain initially seemed inspired when the Frenchman opened the scoring. Muani struck after a fortuitous bounce following a poor clearance, giving Juventus an early lead and showcasing why the club had been eager to sign him.
However, Napoli’s response was swift and decisive. Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa equalized with a powerful header, continuing his emotional performances in memory of young Daniele, a Napoli fan who recently passed away. The turning point came when Romelu Lukaku converted a penalty, marking his 200th career goal in Europe’s top five leagues and completing the comeback.
The match was particularly significant for Juventus, who had been the only unbeaten team in Serie A this season. Despite Muani’s promising debut and Motta’s tactical adjustments, the Bianconeri ultimately fell short, dropping crucial points in the title race.
Notably, Dusan Vlahovic was left on the bench for most of the match, with Muani taking center stage in an unexpected twist. The result leaves Napoli firmly at the top of the table, while Juventus will need to regroup after their first defeat of the season.
Goals: Kolo Muani 43 (J), Anguissa 57 (N), Lukaku pen 69 (N)
Napoli (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Spinazzola; Anguissa, Lobotka (’89’ Gilmour), McTominay; Politano (’82’ Mazzocchi), Lukaku (90′ Simeone), Neres (90′ +2 Ngonge).
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Cambiaso ( 65′ Savona), Gatti, Kalulu, McKennie; Thuram, Locatelli ( 74′ Douglas Luiz); Yildiz ( 65′ Mbangula), Koopmeiners, Nico Gonzalez ( 74′ Conceicao); Kolo Muani (’82’ Vlahovic).
